Adapter coupling



April 5, 1949. H. GRAUE ADAPTER COUPLING Filed Aug. 23, 1948 Jzz'vezzor2 Ze f 2Z razze Wnes: M

Patented Apr. 5, 1949 N OFFICE mama comma Lyle H. Grauc, Paton, IowaApplication August 23, 1948, Serial No. 45,860

This invention relates ling a particularly to an adaptor to be attachedto a power take-off shaft from a tractor so the shaft may be attached toa knuckle on a power operated farm implement.

The tractor and farm implement industries have now settled upon astandard for the power take-off shafts from a tractor and the knuckleson farm implements to which the tractor power take-oil shafts attach.The dimension has been set as 1% inches. Many tractors are still inoperation that have a 1% inch power take-01f shaft. It is with theproblem of adapting a 1% inch power take-oil shaft to fit a 1% inchknuckle that the present invention is concerned.

It is an object of the invention, among others, to provide an adaptorattachable to the shaft of a tractor power take-oil? that will allow thepower take-off to be attached to a knuckle of larger size than the powertake-oil shaft with a minimum of effort.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an adaptor thatallows a power take-off shaft of a tractor to be coupled to a knuckle ona farm implement when the knuckle is larger than the power take-offshaft without changing the power take-off shaft on the tractor or theknuckle on the farm implement.

It is a still further object of the invention to knuckle and an adaptorthat can be supplied at a reasonable price on the market.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereparticularly pointed out inthe claims appendedhereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the adaptor showing the powertake-off shaft and the knuckle at each end of the adaptor.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the adaptor, power take-off shaftand knuckle when coupled together.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken through the line 33 of Figure 2.

I invention;

The adaptor is represented generally at I and comprises a collar 2 atone end and a rod 3 at the other end. splines 4 are attached to thecollar 2 and rod 3. A set screw 5 is screw-threaded into the collar 2and serves as a means to attach the adaptor I to a power take-off shaft6. The rod 3 has an opening I therethrough to receive a pin 8 which pin8 also passes through a knuckle 9 to secure the shaft 6, adaptor I andknuckle 9 in coupled position.

The power take-off shaft 6 is 1% inches in diameter and the lmuckle '9is 1% inches in diameter; hence a coupling could not be made by enteringthe shaft 6 directly into the knuckle 9. The adaptor I serves thepurpose of compensating for the one-quarter inch difference in diameterbetween the shaft 6 and the knuckle 9.

The adaptor I has a central opening I0 into which the shaft Ii enters.The shaft 6 passes through the collar 2 and into the central opening I0. Splines II on the shaft 6 enter between the splines 4 on the adaptorI and contact half of the exposed side area of the splines 4 on theadaptor I. When the shaft 6 contacts the rod 3 at the opposite end ofthe adaptor I, the set screw 5 is tightened down against the shaft 6 andthe adaptor I becomes a part of the shaft 6.

The shaft 6 and adaptor I are entered into the knuckle 9 which hasspaced splines I2. The splines 4 fit between the splines I2 and thesplines I2 contact the remaining half exposed side area of the splines4. The coupling has now been effected so that torque may be transmittedthrough the power take-ofi shaft 6 through the adaptor I to the knuckle9. To prevent longitudinal separation, pin 8 is entered through knuckle9 and opening I in the adaptor I.

-It can thus be seen that the present structure allows coupling to bemade between coupling members of different sizes quickly and with aminimum of effort and insure that torque will be transmitted with aminimum of strain on the adaptor.

It will be understood that the invention has been described for purposesof illustration and explanation and that changes and variations arepossible without departing from the scope of the all such modificationsand changes are intended to be included in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adaptor to join a shaft having external splines to a knucklehaving internal splines wherein the external diameter of the shaft is ofa smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the knuckle comprising,a collar at one end,

a rod at the other end. and splines between the collar and rod withwhich the splines from the shaft and knuckle coopera I 2. An adaptor tojoin a shaft having external splines to a knuckle having internalsplines wherein the external diameter of the shaft is of a smallerdiameter than the internal diameter of the knuckle comprising a collarat one end, a rod at the other end, nieans associated with the collar toattach the adaptor to said shaft, and splines between the collar and rodwith which the splines from the shaft and knuckle cooperate.

3. An adaptor to join a shaft having external splines to a knucklehaving internal splines wherein the external diameter of the shaft is ofa smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the knuckle comprising,a collar at one end, a rod at the other end, means associated with thecollar to attach the adaptor to the shaft, said rod and knuckle havingalignable transverse openings therein, av pin insertable within saidopenings to lock said adaptor with said knuckle, and splines between thecollar and rod with' which the splines on said shaft and knucklecooperate.

4. An adaptor splines to a knuckle having internal splines wherein theexternal diameter of the shaft is ofa smaller diameter than the internaldiameter of the knuckle comprising, a collar at one end,

on the adaptor.

to join a shaft having external a rod at the other end, means associatedwith the collar to attach the adaptor to the shaft, and splines betweensaid collar and rod, with th splines on the shaft passing through saidco at and between the sp es on the adaptor, and said knuckle fittingover the rod with the splines thereof fitting between the splines on theadaptor.

5. An adaptor to join a shaft having external splines to a knucklehaving internal splines wherein the external diameter of the shaft is ofa smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the knuckle comprising,a collar at one end;

.a red at the other end, and splines extended between said collar androd.

with said shaft bein: insertable throush said rod being receivable thesplines on the on said adaptor, and said within said knuckle such thatknuckle are in contact engagement maining one-half bf the side areas ofthe splines- LYLE 1 1 GRA'U'E.

No references cited;

collar such that the splines thereof are in contact engagement with onehalf of the exposed side areas of the splines a with the re- I

